Residents of Altadena’s beloved Christmas Tree Lane held their breath Wednesday as the swiftly growing Eaton fire tore through the area, threatening homes in a neighborhood that hosts one of the region’s longest-running holiday traditions.
Charles Jones, 22, along with three family members and two dogs, evacuated from their Altadena home on Wednesday morning.
“I’ve never been around any sort of natural disaster, so this is kind of crazy,” said the college student. The family came back to the house on Wednesday morning to retrieve a few items before heading back to a hotel.
Several homes in the area have burned, but the neighborhood’s famous trees, decorated each year for the holidays, did not appear to be ablaze at mid-day.
Few residents lingered on the iconic street to assess the damage to their homes and retrieve additional items, including artist Sterling Dimitrius.
Along with his wife, son, and dog, he evacuated from his home on Tuesday afternoon. Dimitrius returned to the neighborhood on Wednesday morning to retrieve more belongings. “It was pretty shocking coming up seeing houses on fire so close to our own home.”
Related: Pasadena basketball coach Tony Brooks said his mother lost her Altadena home in Eaton fire
The holiday tradition, one of the most celebrated in Los Angeles County, includes festively lighted homes and towering Deodars, trees from Italy planted in 1883 by Altadena founder John P. Woodbury.
The seasonal activity dates back to 1920, when Altadena resident and department store owner Frederick C. Nash organized the first tree-lighting with the goal of attracting shoppers to his store.
Listed in the National Register of Historic Places and designated as the California State Landmark No. 990, the lane was originally known as the “Mile of Christmas Trees,” organizers said, highlighting the 10,000 lights and hours of volunteer service it takes to create the display.
Los Angeles County is facing a swarm of fast-moving fires powered by a rare and dangerous Santa Ana windstorm that features powerful gusts ranging from 40 to 80 mph.
Related: Eaton fire: Muir High athletic director Alfredo Resendiz describes ‘apocalyptic’ scene near school
The Palisades fire, a blaze that quickly swelled to more than thousands of acres amid a strong windstorm in Pacific Palisades by Tuesday evening has burned multiple homes and forced 30,000 residents to evacuate, as wind-driven embers spread throughout the hillside community.
A destructive, fast-moving brush fire that broke out above Altadena Tuesday evening, doubled in size overnight as evacuation orders were added to include all of La Cañada Flintridge. At least 20 homes have been lost to the Eaton fire.
The Hurst fire burned more than 100 acres late Tuesday night in Sylmar, growing to 500 acres early Wednesday, forcing emergency evacuations in some neighborhoods.